Meaning & Purpose
What Made the Year Worth Living?
Meaning does not require a good year. It often emerges from what we kept showing up for, even when circumstances were painful, uncertain, or incomplete. Research in psychology distinguishes meaning from happiness or pleasure. Meaning is about coherence (making sense of life), purpose (having aims or direction), and significance (feeling that one’s life matters). Importantly, meaning is often constructed through engagement, not passively discovered after everything turns out well. In difficult years, meaning may look quieter: persistence, care, responsibility, repair, or choosing not to abandon what matters.
Meaning Reflection
Take a few minutes to reflect honestly on 2025, without grading yourself.
What mattered to me this year, even when things were hard?
When did I feel most aligned with my values (even briefly)?
What was I doing, choosing, or protecting in those moments?
What drained me that I don’t want to carry forward into the next year?
Even in a hard year, I showed up for:
Why that mattered to me:
If Meaning Felt Absent
That doesn’t mean your life lacked value. It often means you were in survival mode, where energy is directed toward getting through rather than reflecting on purpose. Research suggests that meaning is frequently constructed through intentional processes, especially during or after stress, not passively found. When meaning feels thin, it can be rebuilt gradually through small, grounded practices.
Evidence-Based Tools to Rebuild Meaning
• Values journaling
Writing about personal values helps clarify what feels worth investing in and supports a sense of coherence during stress.
Try:
Right now, the values that matter most to me are:
• Contribution focus
Even small acts of helping, mentoring, or caring for others are associated with greater purpose and psychological well-being.
One way I contributed this year, big or small, was:
• Narrative reframing
Meaning increases when people view their experiences as part of an ongoing story, rather than a finished verdict. Your story is not complete yet.
If this year were one chapter, I would title it:
What the next chapter might be about:
Why Meaning Matters
A strong sense of meaning in life has been shown to buffer stress, support emotional regulation, and predict better psychological and physical well-being over time. Longitudinal research also links higher meaning with lower mortality risk and better health outcomes, even after accounting for distress and life circumstances. Thriving, in this sense, isn’t about enjoying every moment. It’s about knowing why you kept going, and what you want to keep carrying forward.
References
Alimujiang, A., Wiensch, A., Boss, J., Fleischer, N. L., Mondul, A. M., McLean, K., Mukherjee, B., & Pearce, C. L. (2019). Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality Among US Adults Older Than 50 Years. JAMA network open, 2(5), e194270. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270
Park, C. L., & George, L. S. (2013). Assessing meaning and meaning making in the context of stressful life events: Measurement tools and approaches. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(6), 483–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.830762